A trigger is a set of conditions that determines when a contact enters an automation. For example, an automation can start when a contact is added to a list, adds a product to their cart, opens an email, or books a meeting.
What is a trigger?
When you create an automation using Brevo's new editor, you'll see a list of triggers. A trigger is a set of conditions that determine when a contact is added to an automation. Once a contact meets these conditions, they are added to the automation and begin progressing through the steps.
Brevo offers over 20 triggers to determine when an automation should start, including options related to contacts, forms, emails, eCommerce, and more. You can also combine multiple triggers in a single automation, allowing it to start when the conditions of at least one trigger are met.
➡️ To learn more about the triggers available in the new automation editor, check our dedicated article Available triggers, actions, and rules in an automation.
Use a trigger to start an automation
To use a trigger to start an automation:
- From the Automations page, create or open an automation.
- From the Triggers tab, select the trigger you want to add.
- Configure the settings of the trigger.
- (Optional) Further refine the trigger using event or contact filters.
- (Optional) To add multiple triggers, repeat steps 2 to 4.
❗️ ImportantUsing multiple triggers, contacts will enter the automation if they meet the conditions of at least one trigger.
Refine a trigger using event and contact filters
You can further refine triggers by adding filters based on events or contact details, ensuring the automation runs only under the right circumstances.
Event filters
When using events as triggers, you can refine the trigger with event filters based on the event’s data and properties. For example, with an Order created event, you can apply additional filters to target specific details, such as products within the order, including properties like name, price, or quantity. This allows for a more granular trigger definition using event data.
Expand the dropdown below to view examples of triggers refined using event filters:
- The automation is triggered when the meeting Course presentation is booked.
- The automation is triggered when an order exceeding $20 is placed from the "Accessories" category.
- The automation is triggered when the form with ID 64ca0559089ecd174d7dcd25 is submitted.
Contact filters
Contact filters for a trigger work similarly to those on the Contacts page. They allow you to control which contacts can enter your automation. Even if a contact meets the trigger’s criteria, they must also match the contact filters to proceed. You can filter contacts based on attributes, previous email activity, subscription status, website interactions, and more.
Expand the dropdown below to view examples of triggers refined using contact filters:
- The automation is triggered only for contacts who have subscribed through the double opt-in process.
- The automation is triggered only for contacts who speak French.
- The automation is triggered only for contacts who have opened the email campaign named "Autumn Promotion_EN" in the last 3 months.
⏭️ What's next?
- Available triggers, actions, and rules in an automation
- Send an automated welcome email to new contacts
- Send an automated birthday or anniversary email
🤔 Have a question?
If you have a question, feel free to contact our support team by creating a ticket from your account. If you don't have an account yet, you can contact us here.
If you’re looking for help with a project using Brevo, we can match you with the right certified Brevo expert partner.